I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5230

To require a revision of criteria, policies, and practices regarding the provision

of housing to National Park Service employees.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 6, 1994

Mr. VENTO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Natural Resources

A BILL

To require a revision of criteria, policies, and practices regarding the provision of housing to National Park Service employees.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Park Service

5 Employee Housing Program Act of 1994’’.

6 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS REGARDING PROVISION OF HOUS7 ING TO EMPLOYEES.

8 The Secretary of the Interior (in this Act referred

9 to as the ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through the Director of the
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1 National Park Service, shall, in accordance with this Act

2 and section 5911 of title 5, United States Code—

3 (1) provide housing to employees of the Na4 tional Park Service only when and where such hous5 ing is necessary and justified; and

6 (2) ensure that such housing, if necessary and

7 justified, is available and adequate.

8 SEC. 3. REVIEW AND REVISION OF HOUSING CRITERIA.

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Upon the enactment of this Act,

10 the Secretary shall review and revise the existing criteria

11 under which housing is provided to employees of the Na12 tional Park Service. The review and revision shall include

13 consideration of the following criteria:

14 (1) Required occupancy (whether and under

15 what circumstances the Park Service requires, as a

16 condition of employment, that an employee live at a

17 particular site or in a specific geographic area). For

18 each instance in which occupancy is required, full

19 consideration shall be given to the concept of ade20 quate response time.

21 (2) Availability and adequacy of non-Federal

22 housing in the geographic area, including consider23 ation of the degree of isolation (the time and dis24 tance that separate other potential housing from the

25 workplace of a Park Service employee).
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1 (3) Category of employment (seasonal or per2 manent).

3 (4) Any other factor that the Secretary consid4 ers appropriate.

5 (b) SUBMISSION OF REPORT.—A report detailing the

6 results of the revisions required by subsection (a) shall be

7 submitted to the Committee on Natural Resources of the

8 House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy

9 and Natural Resources of the Senate not later than 180

10 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. The re11 port shall include justifications for keeping, or for chang12 ing, each of the criteria or factors used by the Department

13 of the Interior with regard to the provision of housing to

14 employees of the National Park Service.

15 SEC. 4. REVIEW OF CONDITION OF AND COSTS RELATING

16 TO HOUSING.

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Using the revised criteria devel18 oped under section 3, the Secretary shall undertake a re19 view, for each unit of the National Park System, of exist20 ing government-owned housing provided to employees of

21 the National Park Service. The review shall include an as22 sessment of the physical condition of such housing and

23 the suitability of such housing to effectively carry out the

24 missions of the Department of the Interior and the Na25 tional Park Service. For each unit of such housing, the
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1 Secretary shall determine whether the unit is needed and

2 justified. The review shall include estimates of the cost

3 of bringing each such unit that is needed and justified into

4 usable condition that meets all applicable legal housing re5 quirements or, if the unit is determined to be obsolete but

6 is still warranted to carry out the missions of the Depart7 ment of the Interior and the National Park Service, the

8 cost of replacing the unit.

9 (b) SUBMISSION OF REPORT AND PROPOSED

10 PLAN.—The Secretary shall submit a report detailing the

11 results of the review required by subsection (a), and a pro12 posed plan to meet the housing needs of employees of the

13 National Park Service, to the Committee on Natural Re14 sources of the House of Representatives and the Commit15 tee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate not

16 later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this

17 Act.

18 SEC. 5. ALTERNATIVES TO MEET HOUSING NEEDS.

19 (a) AUTHORIZATION FOR HOUSING AGREEMENTS.—

20 For those units of the National Park Service for which

21 the review required by section 4 has been completed, the

22 Secretary is authorized to enter into housing agreements

23 with housing entities under which such housing entities

24 may develop, construct, rehabilitate, or manage housing,

25 located on or off public lands, for rent or lease to National
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1 Park Service employees who meet the housing eligibility

2 criteria developed by the Secretary pursuant to this Act.

3 In entering such housing agreements, the Secretary may

4 guarantee to such entities a reasonable rate of occupancy

5 of rental units. The authority granted by this subsection

6 is in addition to the authorities of the Secretary to acquire

7 or construct housing for employees of the National Park

8 Service using appropriated funds.

9 (b) LIMITATION ON PLACEMENT OF HOUSING.—

10 Housing made available on public lands pursuant to sub11 section (a) shall be located only in areas designated for

12 administrative use.

13 (c) PROHIBITION OF AQUISITION WITHOUT CON14 SENT.—No private lands, or interests therein, located out15 side the boundaries of a Federally administered area may

16 be acquired pursuant to this Act without the consent of

17 the owner thereof.

18 (d) STUDY REGARDING HOUSING ALLOWANCES.—

19 The Secretary shall undertake a study to determine the

20 feasibility of providing eligible employees of the National

21 Park Service with housing allowances rather than govern22 ment housing. If the Secretary finds, pursuant to the

23 study, that the provision of such allowances would be ben24 eficial to the Federal Government, the Secretary is author-
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1 ized to institute a program for the provision of the allow2 ances, subject to the availability of funds.

3 (e) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the

4 term ‘‘housing entity’’ means an individual who, or a pub5 lic or private corporation or organization that, the Sec6 retary finds is qualified to provide and capable of provid7 ing housing.

8 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

9 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums

10 as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

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